The impulse
for writing this article came from a conversation with a colleague
who told me that while sitting with other colleagues, he had heard one
of them repeat the statement that the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and
peace be upon him, was an ordinary human being like the rest of us, except
that Allah had given him the Qur’ān. My friend knew very well that
this kind of statement had been deliberately circulated among Muslims
to detach them from their Prophet, thus cutting them off from the mercy
of Allah that descends upon them through their love for him and close
adherence to his teachings. This is part of an overall plan to destroy
Islam from within, a plan that, we regret to say, is carried out by ignorant
Muslims, misled by crude suggestions of the Devil that to love the Prophet
and revere him is to worship him beside Allah. My friend told me he became
quite angry and challenged our colleagues to take anything of the Prophet
at random and compare it with themselves. He found himself saying, "Take
his hand for instance!" Then he started discoursing about the special
distinctions of the Prophet’s hand, talking for about twenty minutes,
all the time aware that he had never spoken like that before. His colleagues
listened silently, then when he was finished, begged him to carry on.
These were educated people who already had much of this knowledge in their
minds, but who had been too busy with worldly things to assemble and envisage
their knowledge from that angle before, or to make the necessary effort
in understanding how and why they had previously been misinformed.

It
is for people like these, people whose hearts contain much love for Allah
and His Prophet and who are honest enough to recognize the truth when
they see it, that this article is written. My hope is that it will encourage
them to find out more about their leader, teacher, good example, and intercessor.
It is certainly not written for the narrow minded followers of the believers
in a limited God, a God which they situate in space, located exclusively
above the Throne. For such people, the absolute difference between Creator
and created is blurred, for they mentally impose limits upon that which
is beyond limits. This puts them in the false position of having to belittle
the Best of Creation in order to keep Allah in His place as God.

We,
the vast majority of Muslims, the Ahl al-Sunna wal-Jamā‘a,
know that it is impossible for a Muslim to confuse the Creator with the
created, however great the latter may be. We are therefore quite comfortable
in our love for the Prophet and our extreme respect and veneration for
him.

The
Prophet himself has repeatedly said that those who do not love him more
than their fathers, mothers, children, wealth, and their own selves, their
faith is defective and their works in danger of being rejected by Allah.[1]

It
is deceitful to claim to love the Prophet but seek to deprive him of the
sublime attributes that Allah bestowed upon him, prior to making him the
Master of all Creation.

It
is to be hoped that those who read this article will be spurred on to
increase and complete their knowledge of our beloved Prophet from the
sources, for such knowledge is an obligation upon each Muslim capable
of acquiring it.

To begin, Allah, Exalted is He, says: "Those who swear allegiance
to you are but swearing allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is over
their hands." [48:10]

Were those who insist on accepting nothing but the literal meaning of
the Qur’ān and refuse all figurative interpretation to take this
verse at face value, it would have to mean that the hand that gave allegiance
to the Companions was that of Allah not that of the Prophet, may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him. Those endowed with reason, however, will
readily understand that because the Prophet is Allah’s representative
on earth, swearing allegiance to him is in reality swearing allegiance
to Allah, and the Prophet’s hand represents Allah’s Hand, just as the
Black Stone represents it, but, in the Prophet’s case, eminently more
deservedly.

The result of taking the Prophet’s hand and swearing allegiance to him–for
they swore it to him–was that Allah was satisfied with them: "Allah
was satisfied with the believers when they swore allegiance to you under
the tree." [48:18]

Allah’s satisfaction is in seeing that His slaves are obeying His injunctions,
avoiding what He has forbidden them, and being satisfied with His decrees.
This was the state of the Companions surrounding the Prophet under the
tree in Hudaybiya. Their satisfaction with Allah’s decisions, their extinction
of their individual wills in the Divine will made them as Allah says:
"Allah was satisfied with them and they were satisfied with Him."
[58:22] It was to the Prophet’s everlasting honour and glory that his
hand represented Allah’s on this and all other such occasions.

Another such occasion was recounted by Abdal-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf, “We
were at the Messenger of Allah’s; nine, eight, or seven of us. He said,
‘Will you not swear allegiance?’ We had sworn allegiance only recently,
so we said, ‘We have sworn allegiance to you, O Messenger of Allah!’ He
said, ‘Will you not swear allegiance to the Messenger of Allah?’ So we
extended our hands saying, ‘To what shall we swear allegiance to you?’
He said, ‘To worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, perform the
five prayers, obey,’ then he said something we did not hear, then continued,
‘and ask nothing of others!’ [2]

Physically,
the hands of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him,
were as beautiful and pleasing to gaze upon as everything else about him.
They were white and fleshy, with slightly tapering fingers. His boy-servant,
Anas ibn Mālik, said on more than one occasion, "I have never
touched any silk or brocade that is softer than the palm of the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, nor have I ever
smelled musk or scent more fragrant than the fragrance of the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him."[3]

Wā’il ibn Hajar said, "Whenever I shook hands with the Prophet,
may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, or my skin touched his skin,
I smelled the scent of musk on my hand for three days." [4]

Another Companion, ‘Umayra daughter of Sahl, also a child at the time,
recounted how her father once took her to the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him, asking him to touch her head and pray for both
of them for baraka, since she was his only child. "The Messenger
of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, placed his hands
on my head. I swear by Allah that I could feel the coolness of the hand
of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him,
in my liver!" [5]

Jābir ibn Samura said, “I prayed with the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, the first prayer, then he went
out and I went out with him. He was met by some children and rubbed their
cheeks one by one. As for myself, he rubbed my cheek and I found that
his hand was cool and fragrant, as if he had just taken it out of a perfume
vendor’s bag."[6]

The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, used his right
hand for his ritual purification, food, and beverage, and his left hand
for less clean things.[7] "He never touched the hand of a woman,"
said the lady ‘Ā’isha, "when he accepted their allegiance, he
accepted it verbally."[8]

In these hands of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him, were placed the keys of the treasuries of the earth. Abū Hurayra
said that he had heard the Messenger of Allah say, "I was sent with
comprehensive speech,[9] I was supported with terror,[10] and, while I
was asleep, I was brought the keys to the treasuries of the earth and
they were placed in my hand."[11]

Having given him the keys, Allah left it to him to divide things among
the people as he pleased. This is why he said, "Allah gives and I
am the Divider!"[12]

Allah had said to Sulaymān, may peace be upon him: "This
is Our gift, so bestow or withhold without reckoning!" [38:39]
And if Sulaymān had freedom to give or withhold at will, then how
much more freedom did the Master of all Prophets have?

The baraka of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him, radiated powerfully from his hand, so that when he placed it on the
sick and the injured they were cured, when he touched food it increased
manifold, when he placed it on someone’s chest he removed doubts and disbelief,
when he gave his Companions dry, wooden sticks they turned into swords,
when he threw gravel or dust at the face of the enemy, it separated into
guided missiles striking their targets in the eyes.

When Qatāda ibn al-Nu‘mān was wounded in the eye by an arrow
on the day of Uhud, his eyeball was dislodged and hung on his cheek. His
companions wanted to cut it off, but decided to consult the Prophet first.
He said, "No!" then ordered Qatāda brought to him, pushed
his eyeball back into place with his hand, blowing some of his spittle
on it then said, "O Allah, give him beauty!" It became Qatāda’s
best eye and when the other eye suffered from infection, that one never
did.[13]

Abayd ibn Hammāl suffered from an illness that ate at his face. The
Prophet passed his hand over his face and it disappeared without leaving
a trace.[14]

Shurahbīl al-Ju‘fī said, "I came to the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, with a swelling on my palm
and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! This swelling has tormented me and it
prevents me form holding my sword or the reins of my mount!’ He blew on
my palm, then put his palm on the swelling and went on grinding it until
it disappeared."[15]

‘Abdallah ibn ‘Atīk went to Khaybar to kill the infamous Jew, Abū
Rāfi‘, in the latter’s house. As he was leaving the house he fell
and broke his ankle. He bandaged it and hobbled to his companions, then
they rode back together to Madina. The Prophet said, “Stretch your leg!”
He passed his hand over the broken bones and they mended there and then.
[16]

‘Alī ibn al-Hakam jumped his horse over a ditch during an expedition
with the Prophet. The horse failed to cross the trench and ‘Alī’s
leg was crushed between the horse and the side of the trench. He went
to the Prophet who said, "In the Name of Allah!" and passed
his hand over it, curing it.[17]

‘Abdallah ibn Rawāha went to the Prophet saying, “O Messenger of
Allah, I suffer from a molar tooth that pains me greatly!” The Prophet
put his hand on his cheek saying, “O Allah, remove from him the pain he
suffers and the distress, by the prayer of Your Blessed Prophet, whose
rank is high with You!” He repeated this prayer seven times. Ibn Rawāha
left the Prophet’s presence completely cured.[18]

Asmā’, daughter of Abū Bakr, complained one day that her head
and face were swollen. The Prophet put his hand on her head then her face,
above her veil, repeating three times, “In the Name of Allah! Remove from
her the pain she suffers and the distress, by the prayer of Your Blessed
Prophet,[19] whose rank is high with You!" The swelling subsided.[20]

‘Amr
ibn Hurayth said, "My mother took me to the Messenger of Allah, he
passed his hand over my head and prayed for me to remain [well] provisioned."[21]

‘Amr ibn Tha‘laba said, "I met the Messenger of Allah at Sāla
and became a Muslim. He passed his hand over my head.” Ibn Tha‘laba lived
to be a hundred years old but the place that the Prophet had touched never
turned grey.[22]

Al-Sā’ib ibn Yazīd was asked by his servant, ‘Atā, why
his beard and part of his head were white. The latter replied, "Shall
I tell you my son?" "Indeed!" he replied. "I was playing
with other boys," he said, "When the Messenger of Allah passed
by. I walked up to him and greeted him, he returned my salām
then said, ‘Who are you?’ I said, ‘I am al-Sā’ib ibn Yazīd,
son of al-Nimr ibn Qāsit’s sister.’ The Messenger of Allah passed
his hand over my head saying, ‘May Allah bless you!’ By Allah! It will
never go white and will remain like this perpetually!” [23]

Muhammad
ibn Fudāla al-Zafarī said, “The Messenger of Allah came when
I was two weeks old. I was brought to him, he passed his hand over my
head saying, ‘Call him by my name, but do not call him by my kunya!’[24]
I was taken along to perform the Farewell Pilgrimage with him when I was
ten years old.” Muhammad ibn Fudāla’s life was long, his hair turned
white, but not where the hand of the Prophet had touched it.[25]

Mālik ibn ‘Umayr was present at the conquest of Macca, then at the
campaigns of Hunayn and Tā’if. He was a poet. He asked the Messenger
of Allah about poetry and was told, “For you to be filled with pus from
your throat to your pubis is better than to be filled by poetry!” He said,
“O Messenger of Allah, pass your hand over my head!” He did and Mālik
never said a verse after this. He lived long, his head and beard turned
white, except the place touched by the Prophet. [26]

Bashīr ibn ‘Aqraba al-Juhanī said, “‘Aqraba went to the Messenger
of Allah, may God’s blessings and peace be upon him, who said, ‘Who is
this with you O ‘Aqraba?’ ‘My son Bahīr,’ he replied. He said, ‘Come
nearer!’ I did and sat on his right. He passed his hand over my head.
‘What is your name?’ he asked. ‘Bahīr O Messenger of Allah,’ I replied.
He said, ‘No, but your name is Bashīr!’ My tongue was tied, the Prophet
blew into my mouth and it was undone. All my hair turned white except
where he had put his hand, this part remained black."[27]

The Prophet also passed his hand over ‘Ubada ibn Sa‘d al-Zurqī’s
head and prayed for him. He lived to be eighty, but his hair remained
black.[28]

Abū Zayd al-Ansārī said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him, passed his hand over my head, saying,
‘O Allah, make him fair looking and preserve the fairness!’” He lived
until he was well over a hundred years old without any grey hairs appearing
in his beard. His face remained smooth until he died.[29]

Al-Wāzi‘ took a son of his who had become mad to the Prophet who
passed his hand over his face and prayed for him. Thereafter none was
more rational than he.[30]

Jābir ibn ‘Abdallāh said, “The Messenger of Allah, may blessings
and peace be upon him, visited me in Banī Salima and found me semi
conscious. He asked for water, made his wudū’ then sprinkled
some of the water over me and I came to."[31]

The Prophet used to pat children on the head, pray for them, joke with
them, and sometimes wind a turban round their heads.

‘Abdallāh ibn Bisr said, “My mother sent me to the Prophet with a
bunch of grapes. I ate some of them before reaching him. He passed his
hand over my head saying, ‘Traitor!’"[32] Later on Ibn Bisr used
to show them a mark on his forelocks, saying, "This is where the
Messenger of Allah put his hand when he said, ‘He will reach the century!"[33]

Hanzala ibn Juzaym al-Tamīmī was brought to the Prophet by his
father. The latter said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have sons with
beards, this is the youngest, pray Allah for him!" The Prophet passed
his hand over his head, then said, "May Allah bless you!" Thereafter
whenever a sick man with a swollen face or an animal with a swollen udder
were brought to Hanzala, he blew in his hands, saying, "In the Name
of Allah!" then placed his hand on his own head where the Prophet’s
palm had touched it,saying, " Where the hand of the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, was placed,"
then rubbed the swelling and cured it.[34]

As for Abū Mahdhūra, he had allowed his forelock to grow so
long that when he sat down it reached the ground. When they asked him,
“Will you not cut it?” He replied, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him, passed his hand over it, I am not one
to cut it till I die!"[35]

‘Abdallāh ibn Hilāl al-Ansārī said, “My father took
me to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, pray Allah for him!’ I have not forgotten,
the Messenger of Allah placed his hand over my head until I felt its coolness,
then he prayed for me and blessed me!” ‘Abdallāh lived long, both
his head and his beard turned white, he could hardly comb them because
of his age, yet he still fasted by day and prayed all night. [36]

Abū
Attiya al-Bakrīwas
taken by his parents to the Prophet. He was a young man at the time. The
Prophet passed his hand over his head. When he was a hundred years old
his head and beard were still black.[37]

Al-‘Ā’idh ibn ‘Amr al-Muznī said, “An arrow struck my face as
I was fighting before the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and
peace be upon him, on the day of Hunayn. Blood flowed over my face, beard,
and chest. The Prophet wiped off the blood from my face and chest down
to my breast with his hand and prayed for me.” When ‘Ā’idh died,
those who had heard this from him looked at his chest and found the trace
of the Prophet’s hand on it. They likened it to the white blaze on a horse’s
forehead.[38]

‘Ā’idh’s wife also said that he had once gone to the Prophet to ask
him to pass his hand over his face and pray for him for baraka.
She added that the Prophet did and since then she saw her husband wake
up from sleep [fresh] as if he had rubbed his face with oil. She also
remarked that he needed no more than a few dates to sustain him.[39]

Abul ‘Alā’ ibn ‘Umayr said, “I was visiting Qatāda ibn Milhān
when he was ill. A man passed by the far end of the house and I saw him
reflected in Qatāda’s face [so shiny it was], for the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, had passed his hand
over his face. Whenever I saw him it was as if he had rubbed his face
with oil.”[40]

Usayd
ibn Abī Unās was one of those whose life the Prophet had declared
could be taken with impunity, after the conquest of Macca, when he had
accorded immunity to all the Maccans. Usayd came to the Prophet, asking
whether he would accept Usayd should he come to him as a Muslim? The Prophet
having answered affirmatively, Usayd took his hand saying, "This
is my hand in yours, I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah, and
I testify that there is no God other than Allah!" The Prophet immediately
ordered a crier to announce that Usayd had accepted Islam and was henceforth
immune. Then he passed his hand over his face, then placed it on his chest.
From then on, whenever Usayd entered a dark house the light radiating
from him illuminated it.[41]

‘Utba ibn Farqad had four wives who competed with each other, each seeking
to smell better than her companions. One of them said that ‘Utba always
smelled better than they, even though he never used perfume. Furthermore,
people always remarked on his fragrance, so much so that his wives asked
him how this had come to be. He replied, "I suffered from an ailment
in the days of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace
be upon him. I complained to him about it. He told me to remove my clothes,
which I did, sitting before him with my clothes covering my private parts.
He blew into his hand then placed it on my back and belly. This fragrance
has been there since."[42]

Two tribesmen brought their sons to the Prophet, asking him to bless them
by passing his hand over their faces, which he did. The white mark where
he had touched them remained on their faces till the end of their lives.[43]

The mosque of the Prophet in Madina had been built with palm trunks. The
Prophet used to stand before or lean on one particular trunk when delivering
the Friday sermon. When they made the pulpit for him and he climbed on
it, the palm trunk whimpered like a pregnant she-camel. All the Companions
in the mosque heard it. The Prophet came down from the pulpit and placed
his hand on it, or as related in another version, put his arms around
it and it calmed down and stopped crying.[44]

Many
years earlier, when the elders of Quraysh realized that they were reaching
the limits of what was possible to prevent the Prophet from conveying
his Lord’s message, they sat in council and Satan himself joined them
in the form of an old Najdi man. Each suggestion they put forward he rejected,
until Abū Jahl suggested that if they wanted to murder Muhammad,
but were worried about the revenge sure to be exacted by his clan and
their allies, then they should choose forty men, one from each clan, to
attack him as one man, so that his clan and their allies would find it
impossible to exact revenge from all of them and their allies banded together.
This proposition was strongly supported by Satan and adopted unanimously
by the elders.

Gabriel came to the Prophet, saying, "Sleep not tonight in the bed
in which you usually sleep!"

When the night grew dark the assassins gathered before his house, waiting
for the Prophet to sleep so that they could rush him. The Prophet saw
them and said to ‘Alī, “Sleep on my bed and cover yourself with this,
my green Hadrami cloak. Sleep in it, nothing unpleasant will reach you
from them!” The Prophet gave ‘Alī the cloak he usually wrapped himself
in when he slept.

At the door Abū Jahl was saying, “Muhammad claims that if you follow
him you will become the kings of both Arabs and non-Arabs, then you will
be resurrected after you die, and gardens will be yours like the gardens
of Jordan. But if you do not, he will [one day] cut your throats, then
you will be resurrected after your death, then yours will be a fire in
which you will burn!" The Prophet came out, took a handful of dust
in his blessed hand and said, "Yes I say this! You are one of them!"
Allah took away their eyesight so they did not see him. He sprinkled dust
over their heads reciting these verses from sūra Yā-Sīn:
“Yā-Sīn, and the Wise Qur’ān, you are truly one of the
Messengers, on a straight path, a sending down from the August, the Wise…”
till "…and We have covered them so that they do not see."
[36:9] By the time the Prophet had recited these verses, every one of
them had dust upon his head, then he departed. A man arrived and seeing
them standing there asked, "What are you waiting here for?"
"Muhammad!" they replied. "May Allah make you fail! By
Allah, Muhammad has gone out and he left no man among you but he put dust
on his head, then he walked away to his purpose, can you not see what
has happened to you?" Each of them put his hand on his head only
to find it covered with dust.[45]

As for the effects of the Prophet placing his noble hand on someone’s
chest, many traditions describe them.

‘Alī, may Allah ennoble his countenance, said, “The Messenger of
Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, sent me to Yemen.
I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, you send me, while I am still young, to
judge amongst them, and I know not how to judge!’ He struck my chest with
his hand saying, ‘O Allah! Guide his heart and strengthen his tongue!’
By He Who split the grain! Thereafter I never doubted how to judge between
two people!"[46]

Abū
Hurayra said, "I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I often hear you speak
but I forget!’ He said, ‘Spread out your garment!’ I spread it out, he
[made as if he] scooped [something] with his hand and poured it in it,
then he said, ‘fold it up!’ I did and thereafter forgot nothing he ever
said."[47]

‘Uthmān ibn Abul-‘Ās said, “I used to forget the Qur’ān,
so I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I forget the Qur’ān!’ He struck
my chest [with his hand] then said, ‘Come out O Shaytān from the
chest of ‘Uthmān!’ Following that I never forgot anything I wished
to remember!"

‘Uthmān
son of Abul-‘Ās also said, “The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and
peace be upon him, told me to lead my people in prayer. I said, ‘O Messenger
of Allah, I find in myself something!’ [meaning there were things in his
heart which prevented him from doing so] He said, ‘Come near!’ He made
me sit before him, placed his hand on my chest, then said, ‘Turn around!’
then he placed it on my back between my two shoulders, then he said, ‘Lead
your people in prayer! He who leads people in prayer should lighten [the
prayer] for among them will be the elderly, the sick, the weak, and he
who has something to attend to. But it one of you is praying alone, let
him pray as he wishes.’"[48]

After the conquest of Macca, the Prophet was circumambulating the house
when Fudāla ibn ‘Umayr decided to kill him. He drew near to him.
The Prophet said, “Fudāla?” He replied, “Yes! Fudāla, O Messenger
of Allah!” He said, “What were you saying to yourself?” “Nothing!” He
said, “I was invoking Allah!” The Prophet laughed then said, “Ask Allah
for forgiveness!” Then he placed his hand on his chest and there was peace
in his heart. Fudāla used to say later on, “By Allah! By the time
he took his hand off my chest, none of Allah’s creation was dearer to
me than him! As I was returning to my family I passed by a woman I used
to converse[49] with, she said, "Come over!" I said, "No,
Allah will not allow it, nor Islam!"[50]

During the battle of Hunayn two further incidents happened. ‘Uthmān
ibn Shayba, whose father, uncle, and cousin had been killed in Badr, recounted
the first of these thus: “When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him, was in Hunayn, I remembered my father and my uncle,
and how ‘Alī and Hamza had killed them, and I thought, ‘Today I will
avenge myself from Muhammad!’ I approached him from behind till all that
remained for me to do was to strike him with the sword, when a flash of
fire shot like lighting between me and him, I stepped back, he turned
around saying, ‘O ‘Uthmān, come nearer!’ Then he placed his hand
on my chest, Allah removed the devil from my heart, I looked up at him
and he was dearer to me than my hearing and eyesight!"[51]

Shayba ibn ‘Uthmān al-Hajbī recounted the second incident thus:
“I went out with the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him, on the day of Hunayn. By Allah! I had not gone out for Islam, but
to prevent Hawāzin from gaining the upper hand on Quraysh! By Allah!
As I was standing with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and
peace be upon him, I said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, I see piebald horses!’
He said, ‘O Shayba, only a disbeliever can see them!’ Then he struck my
chest with his hand saying, ‘O Allah, guide Shayba!’ This he repeated
twice more. No sooner had he taken his hand off my chest the third time
that none in Allah’s creation was dearer to me than him!"[52]

Jābir ibn ‘Abdallāh said, “As the trench was being dug I noticed
that the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, suffered
from severe hunger. I returned to my wife saying, ‘Do you have anything,
for I have noticed that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him, suffers severe hunger.’ She brought out a bag with
some barley in it and we had a small sheep in the house. We slaughtered
the animal and ground the barley, then I returned to the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and spoke to him secretly,
‘O Messenger of Allah, we have slaughtered an animal we had and have ground
a measure of barley. Please come with a few people!’ The Prophet, may
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, raised his voice saying, ‘O People
of the Trench! Jābir has prepared some food, you are all welcome!’
Then he said, ‘Do not take the pot off the fire and do not bake your dough
until I come!’ When he arrived he proceeded to break the bread, and put
the meat on it. He took some food out of the pot and served his Companions,
keeping both the pot and the oven covered. He went on breaking the bread,
putting the meat on top of it and serving his Companions until they were
all satiated, then he said, ‘Eat and give to other people for they have
suffered hunger!’"[53]

Wāthila ibn al-Asqa‘ said that he had been one of Ahl al-Suffa.
They were hungry and delegated him to go to the Prophet and inform him
about it. This he did and the Prophet turned to ‘Ā’isha, “Do you
have anything?” he asked. She replied, “O Messenger of Allah, I have nothing
but a few crumbs of bread.” “Bring them!” he said. He emptied the crumbs
into a plate and went on arranging them with his hand while they increased
until the plate was full. “O Wāthila!” he said, “Go and fetch ten
of my Companions, you being the tenth!” Wāthila called his companions.
The Prophet said, “Sit and eat in the Name of Allah. Take from the edges
and do not take from the top, for baraka descends on the top!"
They ate to satiety, then rose leaving the plate as full as when they
sat down. The Prophet kept on handling the food then said, “O Wāthila,
go and fetch another ten of your companions!” After these ten ate to satiety
the whole sequence was repeated once more, after which the Prophet asked,
“Anyone left?” “Yes, ten more," replied Wāthila. “Go fetch them!”
he said. When these were finished, the plate was still as full as at the
beginning, and the Prophet said, “O Wāthila, take this to ‘Ā’isha!”[54]

Abū Talha said, “I once entered the mosque and recognized hunger
in the face of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace
be upon him. I left and went to Umm Salīm, Anas ibn Mālik’s
mother, and said, ‘O Umm Salīm, I have recognized hunger in the face
of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him.
Do you have anything?’ ‘I have something,’ she said, showing her palm
[meaning that it was only a little]. ‘Prepare it and do it well!’ I said.
Then I sent Anas to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and
peace be upon him, saying, ‘Speak secretly into his ear and invite him!’
As soon as Anas arrived the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him, said, ‘My son, your father has sent you to invite
us!’ Then he said to his Companions, ‘Come in the Name of Allah!’ Anas
hastened back to Abū Talha saying, ‘Here comes the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, with the people!’ I came
out and met the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be
upon him, at the door, on the landing, and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah,
what have you done to us? It is but that I recognized hunger in your face
so we prepared something for you to eat!’ He said, ‘Go in and be of good
cheer!’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon
him, took whatever was there, he gathered it in the plate with his hand,
arranged it, then asked, ‘Is there any?’ meaning fat. We brought him our
container, where there may or may not have been something, [meaning that
even if there had been something in it, it was insignificant] the Messenger
of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, squeezed it with
his hand then poured fat from it saying, ‘Send in ten after ten!’ They
all ate to satiety, then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him, said about what remained, ‘Eat together with your
children!’ So we ate and were satiated.’"[55]

Rasul Allah (sallah llahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Whoever knows himself, knows his Lord" and whoever knows his Lord has been given His gnosis and nearness.

Safiyya, the Prophet’s wife, said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him, came one day and asked, ‘O Daughter of
Huyay, do you have anything, for I am hungry.’ I said, ‘No by Allah, O
Messenger of Allah, save two measures of flour.’ ‘Cook it!’ he said. I
put it in the pot, cooked it, then said, ‘It is cooked O Messenger of
Allah!’ He said, ‘Do you know if there is anything in the fat container
of the daughter of Abū bakr?’ I said, ‘I know not O Messenger of
Allah!’ He went himself to her house and said, ‘Anything in your fat container
O daughter of Abū Bakr?’ ‘Nothing but a little,’ she said. He brought
it back, squeezed it into the pot until I saw something coming out. He
put his hand [on it] saying, ‘In the Name of Allah, invite your sisters
for I know they feel as I do!’ I invited them and we ate until satiated.
Then Abū Bakr came and entered, then ‘Umar came and entered, then
a man came. They all ate to satiety and some still remained."[56]

Abū Hurayra said, “One night I missed supper with the Prophet, may
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and also missed being invited
by one of our companions. I prayed ‘Ishā’ then tried to sleep
but could not. Then I tried to pray, but could not. There was a man standing
near the apartment of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be
upon him. I walked up to him and it was the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him, praying. He prayed, then, leaning against the palm
trunk he had been praying toward, said, ‘Who is this? Abū Hurayra?’
I said, ‘Yes!’ He said, ‘You missed supper with us tonight?’ I said, ‘Yes!’
He said, ‘Go to the house and say: Bring the food you have!’ [I did and]
they gave me a plate in which was a paste made with dates. I took it to
the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and placed it
before him. He said, ‘Call those in the mosque!’ I said to myself, ‘Woe
to me, for I can see the food is so little, and woe to me from disobedience!’
I came to men asleep and awakened them saying, ‘Respond!’ and I came to
men praying and said, ‘Respond!’ until they all gathered near the Prophet,
may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He thrust his fingers into
it and pressed around the edge, then said, ‘Eat in the Name of Allah!’
They ate to satiety and I ate to satiety. Then he said, ‘Take it Abū
Hurayra and return it to the family of Muhammad, for there is no food
with the family of Muhammad that one possessed of a liver [meaning a living
being] can eat but this. It was offered to us by one of the Helpers.’
I took the plate and lifted it up, and it was as it had been when I had
placed it there, except for the marks of the fingers of the Prophet, may
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him."[57]

Ziyād
ibn al-Hārith recounted how, as they were travelling with the Prophet,
morning found them without water. "Any water?" the Prophet asked
him. "Only a little that will not suffice you, O Messenger of Allah!"
he replied. "Put it in a vessel and bring it!" he said. He put
his hand in the water and they saw water gushing from between two of his
fingers. He said, "Call my Companions, whoever needs water!"
He called them and they came and each took what he needed. [Seeing this]
they said, "O Messenger of Allah, we have a well that suffices us
with water during the winter, and we gather around it. But in the summer
the water becomes scarce and we have to scatter to the surroundings wells.
However. Now that we are Muslims, everyone around us is an enemy. So pray
Allah for our well so that its water may suffice us, so that we remain
gathered around it." The Prophet asked for seven pebbles, rubbed
them between his fingers, prayed to Allah, then said, "Go with these
pebbles, when you reach the well throw them in one by one, invoking the
Name of Allah!" They did and the well remained so full of water that
they never saw its bottom again.[58]

Anas ibn Mālik said, “I once saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him, when it was time for ‘Asr prayer and
people looked for water for their ablutions and found none. The Messenger
of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, was brought some
water, he put his hand in the vessel and told the people to make their
ablutions from it. I watched the water gushing from under his fingers
while people made their ablutions, till the last one of them had done!"

And in another version of the same incident he said, "I reckoned
between sixty and eighty [men], I watched water gushing from between his
fingers."[59]

Anas recounted another similar incident thus, “Once when the Prophet of
Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and his Companions
were at al-Zawrā’, and al-Zawrā’ is in Madina near the market
and the mosque, he called for a cup partly filled with water, put his
hand in it and water started gushing from between his fingers so that
all his Companions made their ablutions.” “How many were they, O Abū
Hamza?” he was asked. “They were about three hundred,” he replied.[60]

Mu’ādh ibn Jabal said, “We went out with the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, the year of the Tabūk
expedition. He joined his prayers so that he prayed Zuhr and ‘Asr
together and Maghrib and ‘Ishā’ together. One day when
he had thus delayed the prayer he came out, prayed Zuhr and ‘Asr
together, then went in, then came out again, prayed Maghrib and
‘Ishā together, then said, ‘Tomorrow, Allah willing, you will
come upon the spring of Tabūk. You will reach it only by mid-morning.
He who reaches it let him not touch any of its water until I arrive.’
When we reached it two men were already there and in the spring there
was little water. The Messenger of Allah asked them, ‘Have you touched
any of its water?’ ‘Yes!’ they said. He rebuked them and spoke to them
as Allah willed him to speak, then we scooped out little water by little
in our palms until some was collected in something [a vessel or a cup]
then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him,
washed his hands and face in it, then returned it into the spring, at
which it gushed forth with profuse water, so that the people all took
their fill. ‘O Mu‘ādh,’ he said, ‘if your life be prolonged, you
will see this place full of gardens!’[61]

Ibn ‘Abbās said, “Morning came upon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him, and there was no water. ‘Is there any
water?’ he asked. They said, ‘No!’ ‘Is there a waterskin?’ he asked, so
they brought one and placed if before the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him. He placed both hands on it, then spread
his fingers and water gushed, as with Moses’ staff, from the fingers of
the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He
said, ‘O Bilāl! Call the people to their ablutions!’ They came and
did their ablutions from between the fingers of the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, except ibn Mas‘ūd who
was more intent on drinking.[62] Having made their ablutions, they prayed
Subh, then he sat for the people and said, ‘O people, whose faith
is the most wondrous?’ ‘The angels,’ they replied. ‘How can the angels
not believe, when they can witness the matter?’ he said. ‘The Prophets,
O Messenger of Allah!’ they said. ‘How can the Prophets not believe,’
he said, ‘when revelation alights upon them from heaven?’ ‘Your Companions
then, O Messenger of Allah!’ ‘How can my Companions not believe,’ he said,
‘when they are witnessing what they are witnessing? But the most wondrous
in faith are people who will come after me, who have faith in me even
though they have not seen me, who believe me even though they have not
seen me. They are my brothers!’"[63]

Al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib said, “We were on an expedition with the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. We came
upon a well where the water was scarce. Six of us descended into it. A
bucket was sent down to us, while the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him, stood at the rim of the well. We filled
half or two thirds of it, then it was pulled up to the Messenger of Allah,
may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He put his hand into it saying
whatever Allah willed him to say, then the bucket was sent back to us
with the water in it. [They poured the water in the well and the water
began rising.] I saw the last one of us being dragged out in a hurry for
fear of him drowning. Then it flowed [over the ground like] a river."[64]

Anas ibn Mālik said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him, sent a force against the pagans which included
Abū Bakr, ‘Umar and many other people. He said to them, “March diligently,
for between you and the pagans is water, if they outstrip you to this
water people will suffer hardship, you will be severely thirsty and so
will your animals.” The Messenger of Allah, together with eight men, remained
behind. He said to his Companions, "Shall we sleep part of the night
then rejoin the people?" "Yes, O Messenger of Allah!" they
replied. They laid down and were awakened only by the heat of the Sun.
He said to them, "Rise and attend to your needs!" When they
returned he said, "Does any of you have water?" One of them
said, "A small skin with a little water O Messenger of Allah."
"Bring it!" He said. He brought it and the Prophet passed both
his palms over it, prayed for baraka, then said to his Companions,
"Come here and make your ablutions!" He poured water for them
until they had done, then one of them gave the Ādhān,
then the Iqāma, and the Prophet led them in prayer. Then he
said to the owner of the skin, "Look after your skin, it will be
of consequence!” He climbed on his mount then said, “How do you think
they have fared?” “Allah and His Messenger know best,” they replied, “but
they have Abū Bakr and ‘Umar with them and they will counsel them.”
The pagans, however, reached the water before the Muslims and the latter
became extremely thirsty, so did their animals. When the Prophet arrived
he said, "Where is the owner of the skin?" "Here he is
O Messenger of Allah!" they replied. He took the skin in which a
little water had remained and said, "Come here and drink!" He
went on pouring water for them until they all drank, gave their animals,
and filled every skin and cup they had.[65]

The baraka of the Prophet’s hand also showed in the animals and
plants he touched.

After
the Prophet left Macca for Madina in the company of Abū Bakr, the
latter’s servant, ‘Āmir ibn Fuhayr, and their guide, ‘Abdallah ibn
Urayqit, they passed by the two tents of Umm Ma‘bad of Khuzā‘a. She
was a tough, elderly woman who sat before her tent giving people food
and drink. They asked her to sell them meat and dates but she had none.
The Prophet noticed an ewe near the corner of the tent, "What is
this ewe, O Umm Ma‘bad?" he asked." An ewe that is so weak it
was left behind by the sheep," she replied. "Does she have any
milk?" he asked. "She is too weak for that!" she replied.
"Will you allow me to milk her?" he asked. "If you see
that she can be milked then milk her!" she said. The Prophet passed
his hand over the ewe’s udder, uttered the Name of Allah, prayed for her,
then asked for a large vessel. He milked her and milk came out in profusion.
He gave Umm Ma‘bad to drink first, until she was full, then his companions,
leaving himself for last. Then he milked the ewe again until the vessel
was full and left it with her.[66]

Umm Ma‘bad later said that the ewe the Prophet had touched with his hand
remained with them till the "year of the famine" in the days
of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb. They milked her mornings and evenings even
though nothing at all grew from the earth. Meaning that she produced milk
although there was nothing for her to eat.[67]

Abū Qursāfa recounted that as an orphan he was raised by his
mother and her sister and was more attached to his aunt. She had a few
sheep which he looked after for her and she often told him about the Prophet,
“My son, do not pass by this man, for he will deceive you and lead you
astray!” But Abū Qursāfa, leaving his sheep to graze, spent
his time listening to the Prophet, then took his sheep home lean, with
dry udders. "Why does your herd have dry udders?" his aunt asked.
"I do not know!" he replied. He went on listening to the Prophet
until he accepted Islam, took his hand, and gave him allegiance. Then
he told the Prophet about the state of his sheep. "Bring the ewes
here!" the Prophet said, then passed his hand over their backs and
udders, and prayed for them to have baraka. The animals swelled
with meat and milk. When Abū Qursāfa took them back to his aunt
she said, “My son, this is how to graze your animals!” “Aunt, I grazed
them at the same place as previously,” he replied, “but I will tell you
the story.” His mother and aunt listened to him then asked to be taken
to the Prophet. They accepted Islam, gave him allegiance and took his
hand.[68]

Salmān the Persian was a slave owned by the Jews. He made an agreement
with them for his freedom to plant three hundred palm trees and give them
a certain amount of gold. As soon as the palms produced their first dates,
he was to be free. He went to the Prophet, asking for his help. The Prophet
planted the three hundred trees with his blessed hands. All three hundred
grew and produced dates by the end of the year.[69]

The baraka of the Prophet’s hand also showed its effect in many
of the inanimate objects that he touched.

Suwayd ibn Zayd recounted how he once saw Abū Dharr sitting on his
own in the mosque and thought it a good opportunity to ask him about ‘Uthmān.
Abū Dharr said, “I shall never say anything about ‘Uthmān but
good, because of something I saw with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him. I used to watch for the time when the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, was all
alone so that I could learn from him. One day I went and found that he
had gone out. I followed him. He sat somewhere and I sat with him. ‘What
has brought you, O Abū Dharr?’ he said, ‘Allah and His Messenger!’
I replied. Then Abū Bakr came, gave salām and sat to
the right of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him.
He said, ‘What has brought you Abū Bakr?’ ‘Allah and His Messenger!’
he replied. Then ‘Umar came and sat to Abū Bakr’s right. ‘O ‘Umar,’
he said, ‘What has brought you?’ ‘Allah and His Messenger!’ he replied.
Then ‘Uthmān came and sat to ‘Umar’s right. He said ‘O ‘Uthmān,
what has brought you?’ ‘Allah and His Messenger!’ he replied. The Prophet,
may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, picked up seven or nine pebbles.
They glorified [Allah] in his hand, till I heard them buzz like bees buzz.
He put them down and they became silent. He put them in Abū Bakr’s
hand and they glorified till I heard them buzz like the bees buzz, then
he put them down and they were silent. He picked them up and put them
in ‘Uthman’s hand and they glorified till I heard them buzz as bees buzz.
Then he put them down and they were silent."[70]

The baraka of the hand of the Prophet was also seen clearly in
many battles and during the conquest of Macca, again with inanimate objects.

During the battle of Badr three of the Companions broke their swords.
‘Ukāsha ibn Mihsan was given a palm branch by the Prophet. As soon
as he brandished it it turned into a fine sword which he made good use
of till the end of the battle, and then carried on using, calling it "Al-Qawiy"
(the Strong) until he was martyred in Najd during the wars against the
apostates.[71]

Salama ibn al-Harish also broke his sword and was given a palm branch
by the Prophet who said, "Fight with it!" It turned into a sword
which he used until many years later he was martyred on the bridge of
Abū ‘Ubayd during the conquest of Iraq.[72]

‘Abdallah ibn Jahsh was the third to be given a palm branch to fight with.
It became a sword which they named “Al-‘Urjūn” (the Palm Branch).
He died a martyr on the day of Uhud, but the sword remained with his heirs
until they sold it.[73]

During the Battle of Badr, but also before that in Macca and after that
at Hunayn, the Prophet threw gravel or pebbles at the pagans, hitting
them individually in eyes. Allah addresses him thus in the Qur’ān:
"You threw not when you threw, but Allah threw," [8:17]
for it is humanly impossible to achieve such a feat.

On the first occasion, in Macca, the elders of Quraysh met in the Hijr
and swore to each other by Lāt, ‘Uzzā, Manāt, Nā’ila,
and Isāf that as soon as they saw Muhamamd they would rise to him
as one man and part not from him until they had killed him. Fātima
overheard this, she hastened home weeping, and entered upon the Prophet
saying, “There were the elders of your people promising each other that
as soon as they saw you they would rise as one man to your blood!"
"My child," he said, "bring me some water for my ablutions!"
He performed his ablutions then headed towards the mosque. When they saw
him they said, "Here he is! Here he is!" but they lowered their
gazes, hung their chins on their chests, did not look at him, nor did
any of them rise toward him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him, approached till he stood over them. He took a handful
of dust and saying, "Befouled be the faces!" threw it at them.
Not one of those who were hit by it on that day escaped being killed at
Badr.[74]

On the day of Badr he took a handful of pebbles and threw it at the pagans
saying, "Befouled be the faces!" Allah caused these to hit most
of the pagans in the eyes, with a sound as if pebbles were falling into
a pan. This is when their defeat began.[75]

As for the day of Hunayn, when the Mulims were taken by surprise by the
enemy and some chaos ensued, the Prophet found himself on his own on his
mule. Salama ibn al-Akwa‘ recounted how he saw the Prophet climb down
from his mule, pick up a handful of dust, then throw it in the pagan’s
faces saying, "Befouled be the faces!" Their eyes were filled
with dust and they retreated in disarray.[76]

Before
the siege of Madina, the Battle of the Trench, as the Muslims were digging
the trench, they met a rock they could not break. They tried hard but
it only broke their picks. They reported this to the Prophet who took
the pick from Salman and struck the rock. A light flashed, illuminating
Madina from one lava tract to the other, as if it was a lamp lit in a
dark night. The Prophet said, "Allahu Akbar!" He struck
it again, another flash shot forth, he said, “Allāhu Akbar!”
Then he struck it a third time. Again a flash of light shot forth, and
again he said, “Allāhu Akbar!” The rock was shattered by the
third blow. They asked him about the three flashes of light, and he said,
“The first one lit up for me the palaces of Hīra and the cities of
Khosroes, as if they were dogs’ teeth, and Gabriel informed me that my
nation is to overcome them. The second one lit up for me the red palaces
of the land of the Byzantines, as if they were dogs’ teeth, and Gabriel
informed me that my nation is to overcome them. The third lit up for me
the palaces of Sana‘ā, as if they were dogs’ teeth, and Gabriel told
me that my nation is to overcome them!”[77]

When he entered the Sacred Mosque after the conquest of Macca, the Prophet
went round the Ka‘ba pointing at the idols with his stick or his bow.
There were three hundred and sixty idols on and around the Ka‘ba, their
feet fixed with lead, in addition to Isāf and Nā’ila where the
pagans slaughtered their offerings. As the Prophet passed by each of the
idols, he pointed at it, reciting: "Say: The truth has come and
falsehood has vanished; falsehood is ever vanishing." [17:81]
When he pointed at them the idols fell on their faces one by one.[78]

The Companions knew well the baraka in the hand of the Prophet;
they also knew about its being the symbol of Divine generosity and power.
They loved to touch and kiss it, they competed for the water he had dipped
it in, and, after his death, those who never saw him were eager to touch
and kiss those hands that had touched him.

Both the Jews and the Christians who recognized the Prophet as a Divine
envoy also showed their love and respect for him by kissing both his hands
and his feet.

Once, after the Prophet’s emigration to Madina, a Jew said to a friend
of his, "Let us go to this Prophet!" his friend said, "Say
not Prophet! Were he to hear you he would have four eyes!" They came
to the Prophet and asked him about nine things which he answered. They
kissed his hands and feet, saying, "We testify that you are a Prophet!"
"What prevents you from following me?" he asked. "David
prayed that there should always be a Prophet from his progeny. We fear,
were we to follow you, that the Jews would kill us!"[79]

When the Prophet went to Tā’if to call its people to Islam they mistreated
him and wounded both his feet by throwing stones at him. He repaired to
a garden belonging to two Qurayshi noblemen, ‘Utba and Shayba, sons of
Rabī‘a. They happened to have come down from Macca and to have seen
what had happened to him. As they were related to him sufficiently closely
in tribal terms to allow themselves to feel some sympathy, they called
a Christian slave of theirs named ‘Addās and told him, “Take some
of these grapes, put them in this plate, then take them to this man and
tell him to eat!” When ‘Addās placed the plate before him and said
“Eat!” the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, extending
his hand, said, “In the name of Allah!” then began to eat. ‘Addās
looked at his face, then said, “By Allah! These words are not what the
people of this land say!” “From which land do you hail ‘Addās?"
he was asked, "and what is your religion?" He replied, "I
am a Christian, a man from Nineveh." "From the town of the virtuous
man Jonah the son of Matthew?" asked the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him. "How do you know who Jonah the son of Matthew
is?” asked ‘Addās. “He is my brother,” he was told, “he was a Prophet
and I am a Prophet!” At this ‘Addās rushed to him, kissing his head,
hands and feet.

One of the sons of Rabī‘a said to the other, “He has spoiled your
slave for you!” Then, when ‘Addās returned to them, they said to
him, “Woe to you, O ‘Addās! Why do you kiss this man’s head, hands,
and feet?” He replied, “Master, there is no one on earth better than this
man, he has just informed me of a thing that only a Prophet knows!” They
said, “Woe to you, O ‘Addās! Let him not divert you from your religion,
for your religion is better than his!”[80]

Those upon whose heads the hands of the Prophet wound a turban were thereby
forever honoured.

Qurayt ibn Abī Ramtha al-Tamīmī, who, in the Caliphate
of ‘Umar, conquered Aqaba, was taken along by his father when he emigrated
to the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. The Prophet
took him on his lap, prayed for him to have baraka, and wound a
black turban around his head.[81]

The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, decided to send
an expedition of seven hundred men to Dūmat al-Jandal, under the
command of ‘Abal-Rahmān ibn ‘Awf. On the morning they were to set
out, ‘Abal-Rahmān appeared wearing a turban dyed black. The Prophet
took it off with his hand and wound it again, leaving four fingers’ length
hanging from the back.[82] When the time came for ‘Abdal-Rahman ibn ‘Awf
to decide who was to become caliph, ‘Uthmān or ‘Alī, he came
out wearing the same turban the Prophet had wound on his head.[83]

Anas said, "Once the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and
peace be upon him, prayed the morning prayer, the servants of the people
of Madina brought him their vessels full of water, he dipped his hand
in them, even on cold mornings."[84]

Abū Juhayfa said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him, came out in mid-morning. Water for ablution was
brought to him and he performed his ablution, then the people took what
remained and rubbed it on themselves. Those who could not reach any took
the water that dripped from their companions’ hands."[85]

Abū Juhayfa also said that when the Prophet was in Macca and had
finished his ablutions, the people crowded around him, taking his hands
and rubbing them on their faces. “I took his hand," he said, "and
placed it on my face and it was cooler than snow and better smelling than
musk!"[86]

Abū Ayyūb said, “We used to prepare supper and send it to him,
when it was brought back to us, I and Umm Ayyūb used to look for
the mark of his hand and eat from there, hoping for the baraka.
One night we sent his supper to him, having put onions or garlic in it,
but the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him,
returned it untouched, I saw no trace of his hand in it. I rushed to him
in distress, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my father and mother be the
ransom! You have returned your supper and I saw no trace of your hand,
whereas before, whenever you returned it, I and Umm Ayyūb sought
the trace of your hand, seeking the Baraka!’ He said, ‘I found
the smell of that plant in it and I am a man who converses, [with Gabriel,
as another version adds] as for you, you may eat it!’ So we ate it but
never used that plant again!"[87]

When the Prophet fell ill, ‘Ā’isha, in the knowledge that he used
to recite the Mu‘awwidhāt, blow in his hands, and rub his
body, recited them herself, then took his hand and rubbed him with it,
for no palm was as blessed as his.[88]

‘Ā’isha said that whenever the Prophet entered Fātima’s house
she rose to meet him and kissed his hand.[89]

Once when Ibn ‘Umar was in a raiding party they retreated before the enemy.
They said to each other, "What shall we do now that we have run away
from the fight and come under [Allah’s] wrath?" "Let us go to
Madina and spend the night," they said, then, "Let us show ourselves
to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him,
it may be that our repentance will be accepted, or else we shall depart."
They came to him before the morning prayer. "Who are the people?"
he asked, "We are the deserters!" they replied. "No!"
he said, "But you are the fighters, and I am your host and every
Muslim’s host."[90] Then they approached him and kissed his hand.
Then the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him,
recited this verse: "or withdrawing to a host," [8:16][91]

When the delegation of ‘Abdal Qays reached Madina, [they had such longing
for the Prophet that] they jumped off their camels and rushed to him,
kissing his hands and feet.[92]

Ibn ‘Umar used to kiss the Prophet’s hand.[93]

Ka‘b ibn Mālik, one of the three Companions that failed to join the
Tabuk expedition, kissed the Prophet’s hand when Allah relented towards
the three.[94]

Once Salama ibn al-Akwa‘ said to his companions, "I gave allegiance
to the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, with this
hand of mine!" They kissed it and he never objected to this.[95]

The famous Follower, Thābit al-Bunānī, Anas ibn Mālik’s
student, said, “Whenever I visited Anas, they told him I was there, he
came to me, and I took both his hands and kissed them saying, "My
father be the ransom of these hands that have touched the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him!" and I kissed
his eyes saying, "My father be the ransom of these eyes which have
seen the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him!"[96]

And whenever Thābit came to visit him, Anas called his servant saying,
“Bring me some perfume that I may perfume my hands, for Thābit will
not rest content until he has kissed my hand!”[97]

Burayda said, "A Bedouin came to the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him, saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have accepted
Islam, so show me something that will increase me in certitude!’ He asked
him, ‘What do you want?’ He replied, ‘Call this tree, let it come to you!’
‘Go to her and call her!’ He told him. The Bedouin went to the tree saying,
‘Answer the Messenger of Allah!’ The tree leaned to one side, pulling
her roots out, then to the other, pulling her roots out then she went
to the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, saying, ‘Peace
be upon you O Messenger of Allah!’ The Bedouin exclaimed, ‘This is sufficient
for me! This is sufficient for me!’ The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings
and peace be upon him, said, ‘Go back!’ so it returned to its place and
struck its roots again. The Bedouin said, ‘Permit me, O Messenger of Allah,
to kiss your hands and feet!’ He did [kiss his hands and feet], then said,
‘Permit me to prostate myself before you!’ ‘No man should prostate himself
before another man!’ he replied."[98]

The wooden pulpit of the Prophet had a knob on which the Prophet rested
his hand as he spoke. After the Prophet’s death Abū Hurayra used
to stand beside the pulpit and place his hand on the pommel, before the
caliph came out to deliver the Friday sermon. Thus standing he would recite
a few of the hadiths he had learnt from the Prophet.[99]

As for the other Companions, they used to wait until those in the mosque
became few, then rise to the pommel, rub it, and make du‘ā’.
So did the Followers and those who came after them.[100] Upon learning
of this, ‘Abdallāh, son of Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbal, asked his
father what he thought of this and of touching the Prophet’s chamber.
The Imām answered that he saw nothing wrong there. And the famous
compiler of hadith, Imām ibn ‘Asākir, who witnessed the
fire that burned part of the Prophet’s mosque, said, "The remaining
parts of the pulpit of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be
upon him, were burnt. Now visitors can no longer touch the pulpit’s pommel,
on which the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, placed
his noble hand, nor the place where he used to sit, nor the place of his
noble feet, for their great baraka."[101]

The
Prophet informed us that Allah, Exaltedand
Majestic is He says, "He who shows hostility to a Walī
of Mine, on him I declare war. My slave draws nearer to Me with nothing
that I love more than what I have made obligatory on him. And My slave
ceases not to draw nearer to Me with supererogatory devotions until I
love him. When I love him I become his eye with which he sees, his ear
with which he hears, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot on which
he walks. When he asks of Me I give him and when he seeks My protection
I protect him."[102]

The Prophet, by virtue of being the most perfect of Allah’s slaves, is
he in whom the gifts mentioned in this Hadīth Qudsī manifest
in the most perfect from. Thus, because he saw and heard by Allah’s power
and ability, he was able to see and hear through the earth, down to the
seventh nether earth, and through the heavens up to and beyond the Throne.
He saw through people’s intentions and heard the whisperings in their
breasts. His hand manifested the powers we have spoken about and much
more that is known only to Allah. His feet walked the seven heavens and
the Throne, and took him into the Divine Presence.

The same attributes, according to this Hadith Qudsī, manifest
in the more spiritually gifted among the Prophet’s community, for he must
have heirs amongst the Muslims, in each of their generations till the
end of time. Only he who knows the saints is able to catch a glimpse of
the unassailable rank of Prophethood. Only he who accepts that Allah’s
treasury of gifts is infinite and that He gives according to His generosity
will begin to understand. Only he who overcomes his skepticism and thinks
well of the virtuous servants of Allah will be allowed to witness some
of these gifts.

NOTES

Bukhari,
Kitab' al-Iman. 70. Muslim 1:49.

Muslim
2/721, Abu Dawud 2/121, Nisa'i 1/142.

Bukhari
2:969, Muslim 4:1815.

Majma'
al-Zawa'id 7:33.

Bayhaqi
and ibn 'Asakir. Majma' al- Zawa'id 7:33.

Muslim
7:81.

Abu Dawud
1:103, Bayhaqi, Sunan, 1:113.

Bukhari
2:967, Muslim 3:1489.

Comprehensive
speech is the ability to state the most profound truths very clearly
in few words. Second to the Qur'an themost comprehensive expression
undoubtedly belongs to the Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon
him.

To be
supported by terror is Allah's striking terror into the hearts of his
enemies so that they are at a disadvantage before the actual confrontation
takes place.

Bukhari
3:1087.

Bukhari,
Bab al- 'Ilm ,13, Muslim, Zakat: 100.

Bayhaqi
in Dala'il 3/252 , al-Hakim, Mustadrak, 3:334.

Abu Nu'aym,
Dala'il 1:172, Bayhaqi, and ibn Sa'd.

Bukhari
in Tarikh, Tabarani, and Bayhaqi.

Bukhari
4:1483

Ibn 'Abdal-Barr,
Al-Isti'ab fi Ma'rifat' il Ashab, 3:1415.

Suyuti,
al-Khasa'is al-Kubra, 2:291.

The Prophet
is here doing tawassul with his own blessed self.

Suyuti,
al-Khasa'is al-Kubra, 2:290.

Majma'
al- Zawa'id, 9:405.

Majma'
al- Zawa'id, 9:405. Baghawi, Bayhaqi.

Majma'
al- Zawa'id 9:409 ibn Sa'd, Bayhaqi.

The kunya
is the respectful Arab way of calling their elders Abu Fulan, Father
of so and so, in the Prophet's case: Abu'l-Qasim.

Bukhari
in Tarikh, Bayhaqi, and Majma'al-Zawa'id 8:48.

Majma'
al-Zawa'id 8:48.

Majma'al-
Zawa'id 8:54, ibn 'Asakir, and Abu Ya'la .

Al-Zubayr
ibn Bakkar.

Ahmad
5:77, 5:340, Bayhaqi in Dala'il 6:210.

Abu Nu'aym,
Bazzar.

Bukhari
1/87.

Majma'
al-Zawa'id 9:405.

Majma'
al-Zawa'id 9:405.

Ahmad
5/67, ibn Sa'd.

Al-Baghawi.

Majma'
al-Zawa'id 9:402.

Majma'
al-Zawa'id 9:401

Al-Hakim
3:677, Majma 'al-Zawa'id 9:412.

Majma'
al-Zawa'id 9:41.

Ahmad
5:28 Bayhaqi.

Mada'ini.

Tabarani,
al-mu'jam al-Saghir, 1/77.

Ibn Sa'd,
Abu Nu'aym, Bukhari in Tarikh, Baghawi.

Tirmidhi
3627.

Ibn Hisham
1:482.

Ibn Maja
2/774 , Ibn Abi Shayba 6/13.

Bukhari,
manaqib, 38, 1/56.

Muslim
1:341.

This is
the Companion's polite manner of saying he used to have relations with
her.

Ibn Hisham
2/417.

Bayhaqi,
Suyuti, al-Khasa'is al-Kubra, 2/95.

Suyuti,
al-Khasa'is al-Kubra 2:93, Bayhaqi and ibn 'Asakir.

Bukhari
3/1117 Muslim 3/1611

Majma'al-Zawa'id
8:305

Majma'
al-Zasa'id 8:306

Majma'
al-Zawa'id 8:308-309

Majma'
al-Zawa'id 8:307.

Bayhaqi,
Abu Nu'aym, Suyuti 2:216.

Muslim
4: 1783.

Muslim
4: 1783.

Muslim
4: 1783.

Ibn Mas'ud,
being one of the earliest Muslims and one of the most knowledgeable,
realized what an opportunity it was to drink this most blessed water,
to purify himself inwardly with it.

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